LSTV, RSTV merger begins to create SANSAD TV, CEO appointed

The presiding officers of both houses of Parliament have set the ball rolling for the merger of Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV into a single entity, SANSAD TV, which will soon move to seek requisite government license.

According to a circular issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, retired IAS officer Ravi Capoor has been appointed the CEO of the new integrated channel for a period of one year, beginning March 1.

Consequent upon the joint declaration of the Rajya Sabha Chairman and Lok Sabha Speaker to merge RSTV and LSTV into Sansad Television (SANSAD TV), Ravi Capoor has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer, SANSAD TV, on contract basis, for a period of one year with immediate effect, the circular reads.

Sources said though the channels are being integrated into single entity, it will function on two platforms during the parliament sessions -- one to telecast live proceedings of Lok Sabha and the other of Rajya Sabha.

During the inter-session period, the channel will be on one single platform having enriched bilingual contents (Hindi and English), senior officials of the two secretariats said.

The integration of two channels will lead to substantial savings and improved efficiency with pooling of resources and synchronisation of assets, they said.

Sources said it has yet not been decided whether the new channel will come under the ambit of Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha secretariats or will be administered by both.

In November 2019, after deliberations between Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu, a committee headed by former Prasar Bharati Chairman Surya Prakash was formed to work out integration of the two channels.

The committee had submitted its report last year.